Meniscal repair device and method of use

Abstract

A device for repairing a meniscus of a patient. An introducer having a sharpened distal end is manipulated to pierce the meniscus across a tear therein. A main body is carried within the introducer and has a distal end having a pair of wings that are biased toward an outwardly extending position where the wings form a tee at the distal end of the main body. When the introducer is properly placed, the main body is pushed so that the distal end of the main body emerges from the distal end of the introducer, thereby freeing the wings to spring to their outwardly biased position. The wings hold the outer surface of the torn meniscus and a fixation device is affixed to the main body to hold the inner surface of the meniscus such that the meniscus is sandwiched between the wings and the affixation device to hold the meniscus with the sides of the tear brought together.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A device for repairing a tear in a patient's tissue to join a first portion of the tissue having an inner surface and a second portion of the tissue having an outer surface, said device comprising a main body having a distal end and a proximal end, at least one wing affixed to the distal end and being movable between a retracted position wherein the at least one wing is closely aligned with said main body and an extended position wherein the at least one wing extends laterally outwardly from said main body, said at least one wing being biased toward said extended position, a hollow introducer having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end adapted to pierce a first and said second portions of a patient's tissue, said main body adapted to slidingly fit within said introducer with said at least one wing in the retracted position to a position extending beyond said distal end of said introducer wherein said at least one wing can move to the extended position to engage a distal surface of a second portion of tissue, and an affixation device to engage the main body and engage an inner surface of a first portion of tissue.  
     
     
         2 . A device as defined in  claim 1  wherein said distal end of said introducer is sharpened so as to facilitate piercing a first and second portions of a patient's tissue.  
     
     
         3 . A device as defined in  claim 1  wherein said at least one wing comprise a plurality of wings.  
     
     
         4 . A device as defined in  claim 1  wherein said main body comprises at least one enlarged area formed on the main body.  
     
     
         5 . A device as defined in  claim 4  where said at least one enlarged area formed on the main body comprises a plurality of spaced apart enlarged areas.  
     
     
         6 . A device as defined in  claim 5  wherein said plurality of enlarged areas are spaced apart beginning a predetermined distance inwardly from said distal end of said main body.  
     
     
         7 . A device as defined in  claim 5  where in said fixation device is affixed to said main body by affixation to one of said enlarged areas.  
     
     
         8 . A device as defined in  claim 1  wherein said fixation device is welded to the main body.  
     
     
         9 . A device as defined in  claim 1  wherein said fixation device has an opening adapted to fit over and slide along the main body wherein the fixation device can be slid along the main body to an inner surface of a first portion of tissue.  
     
     
         10 . A device as defined in  claim 1  wherein patient's tissue is a meniscus of a knee and a first portion is a portion of a meniscus and a second portion is an outer rim of a meniscus  
     
     
         11 . A device for repairing a tear in a patient's tissue, said device comprising a main body having a distal end and a proximal end, at least one wing affixed to the distal end and being movable between a retracted position wherein the at least one wing is closely aligned with said main body and an extended position wherein the at least one wing extends laterally outwardly from said main body, said at least one wing being biased toward said extended position, said main body having a plurality of spaced apart enlarged areas extending outwardly from the main body.  
     
     
         12 . A device as defined in  claim 11  wherein said main body has a relatively constant dimension from said distal end inwardly a predetermined distance.  
     
     
         13 . A device as defined in  claim 12  wherein said enlarged areas are rounded, annular bumps formed on the main body.  
     
     
         14 . A device for repairing a tear in a patient's tissue, said device comprising a main body having a distal end and a proximal end, at least one wing affixed to the distal end and being movable between a retracted position wherein the at least one wing is closely aligned with said main body and an extended position wherein the at least one wing extends laterally outwardly from said main body, said at least one wing being biased toward said extended position, a fixation device adapted to be affixed to the main body at a predetermined location along said main body.  
     
     
         15 . A device as defined in  claim 14  wherein said fixation device has an opening adapted to fit over the main body and slide along said main body to said predetermined location.  
     
     
         16 . A device as defined in  claim 15  wherein said fixation device is welded to said main body at the predetermined location.  
     
     
         17 . A method of bringing together an inner portion and an outer rim of a meniscus of a patient's knee, the inner portion having an inner surface and the outer rim having an outer surface, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a hollow introducer having a distal end and a proximal end,    providing a main body having a distal end and a proximal end and at least one wing affixed to the distal end movable between a retracted position where the at least one wing is closely aligned with the main body and an extended position where the at least one wing extends laterally outwardly from the distal end, the at least one wing being biased toward the extended position, the main body being adapted to slidingly interfit within the hollow introducer,    inserting the introducer through the inner portion and the outer rim of the meniscus to pierce the outer surface of the outer rim,    inserting the main body through the introducer with the at least one wing in the retracted position to extend the distal end of the main body from the distal end of the introducer to allow the at least one wing to move to the extended position,    removing the introducer from the meniscus;    manipulating the main body to engage the outer surface of the outer rim and to pull the outer rim and the inner portion closely together,    securing the main body to the inner surface of the inner portion to hold the outer rim and the inner portion in the close together position.    
     
     
         18 . A method as defined in  claim 17  wherein said step of securing the main body to the inner surface of the inner portion of the meniscus comprises providing a fixation device and advancing the fixation device along the main body until the affixation device contacts the inner surface of the inner portion of the meniscus and securing the fixation device to the main body.  
     
     
         19 . A method as defined in  claim 18  wherein said step of securing the fixation device to the main body comprises welding the fixation device to the main body.  
     
     
         20 . A method as defined in  claim 17  wherein said step of providing a main body comprises providing a main body having at least one enlarged area and said step of securing the main body to the inner surface of the inner portion comprises abutting the at least one enlarged area against the inner surface of the inner portion.  
     
     
         21 . A method as defined in  claim 20  wherein said step of providing a main body comprises providing a main body having a plurality of enlarged areas.  
     
     
         22 . A method as defined in  claim 21  wherein said step of securing the main body to the inner surface comprises providing a fixation device and securing the fixation device to one of the plurality of enlarged areas.  
     
     
         23 . A method as defined in  claim 17  where the method further comprises the step of providing a plunger adapted to fit within the introducer and using the plunger to extend the distal end of the main body from the distal end of the introducer.  
     
     
         24 . A method as defined in  claim 18  wherein said step of providing a main body comprises providing two main bodies and said step of providing an introducer comprises providing two introducers, and said steps of inserting the introducer and inserting the main body comprises inserting both of said introducers and said main bodies and said step for providing a fixation device comprises providing an affixation device having two openings to fit over both of said main bodies.  
     
     
         25 . A method as defined in  claim 24  wherein said step of securing the fixation device to the main bodies comprises welding the fixation device to both of the main bodies.  
     
     
         26 . A method of bringing together an inner portion and an outer rim of a meniscus of a patient's knee, the inner portion having an inner surface and the outer rim having an outer surface, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a main body having a distal end and a proximal end and at least one wing affixed to the distal end and being movable between a retracted position where the wing is closely aligned with the main body and an extended position where the at least one wing extends laterally outwardly from the distal end, the at least one wing being biased toward the extended position,    inserting the main body through the inner portion and the outer rim of the meniscus to pierce the outer surface of the outer rim with the at least one wing in the retracted position to extend the distal end of the main body through the outer surface of the outer rim to allow the at least one wing to move to the extended position,    manipulating the main body to engage the outer surface of the outer rim and to pull the outer rim and the inner portion closely together,    securing the main body to the inner surface of the inner portion to hold the outer rim and the inner portion in the close together position.    
     
     
         27 . A method as defined in  claim 26  wherein said step of securing the main body to the inner surface of the inner portion of the meniscus comprises advancing a fixation device along the main body until it contacts the inner surface of the inner portion of the meniscus and securing the fixation device to the main body.  
     
     
         28 . A method as defined in  claim 27  wherein said step of securing the fixation device to the main body comprises welding the fixation device to the main body.  
     
     
         29 . A method as defined in  claim 26  wherein said step of providing a main body comprises providing a main body having at least one enlarged area and said step of securing the main body to the inner surface of the inner portion comprises abutting the enlarged area against the inner surface of the inner portion.  
     
     
         30 . A method as defined in  claim 29  wherein said step of providing a main body comprises providing a main body having a plurality of enlarged areas.